REEL CRITICS:

Walt Disney was once known for producing beautiful nature films starring real animals instead of their cartoon counterparts. “Earth” is a welcome return to the grand documentary style he pioneered in the 1950s with “The Living Desert.” Modern cinematography and satellite images magnify the stunning visuals in this first-rate production.

“Earth” begins with dazzling views of Earth from space. Starting near the North Pole, it focuses first on a family of polar bears living on the edge of the melting arctic ice cap. Moving south, the everyday lives of creatures great and small are revealed in fascinating detail all across the planet.

In the sea, we watch amazing scenes of whales, dolphins, seals and penguins. In the air, we see the splendor of tropical birds in the rain forest and cranes flying over the Himalayas. On land in Africa, we witness elephants, lions and gazelles in their ancient struggle to survive and prosper with limited resources.

The booming narrative voice of James Earl Jones gives proper weight to the poignant scenes where some animals appear to be losing their struggle. But there’s lots of joy and wonder in this true life adventure. Many in the audience at my screening were children younger than 10. It was a joy to see the kids and their parents equally captivated by the great reality show on the screen.

‘Soloist’ a touching story about homeless problem

In 2005, Steve Lopez wrote a series of columns in the Los Angeles Times about his encounter with a homeless man who turned out to be a Juilliard dropout. The saga of Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Jr. touched on many sensitive issues — survival, mental illness, government indifference, and the well-meaning but often futile kindness of strangers.

I wish “The Soloist” could have taken a less heavy-handed approach. Director Joe Wright (“Atonement”) often felt it necessary to underscore a touching moment (pigeons soaring over the freeway, a psychedelic Beethoven light show). It diminishes the subtle graces of the story, like a man in aluminum foil coaxing transcendent notes from a cello in a freeway tunnel.

One certainly can’t find fault with the acting. Jamie Foxx is convincing as a man struggling with fear from without and within.

Robert Downey Jr., as Lopez, is pretty great as a man who wants to do the right thing, but also questions: How much is “enough” when helping someone in dire straits, especially if that person cannot recognize his own health issues and needs? You can’t legally force someone to get that help either. The epilogue gives the sobering statistic that there are more than 90,000 homeless just in the Los Angeles area alone. But, why do the ending credits feature “happy homeless” dancing in the streets?

JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator for the Orange County public defender’s office. SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant for a financial services company.